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As a non-native speaker, I'm confused and irritated that the word "compare" is used in the meaning "equate". In math, I can compare any scalar value to any othe

• evan_ 7y ago
  In this case “compare” is used in a less formal way, basically “these things are in the same category”. If the speaker had said “those things can’t be compared” that would mean one was so much worse than the other that they weren’t even in the same category. It’s the same sense of the word you might use in the saying “you can’t compare apples and oranges.” The conditions that make an apple good are not the same as the conditions that make an orange good.
• gatherhunterer 7y ago
  It is the correct usage and it is not used to mean “equate” in this case. compare - ”estimate, measure, or note the similarity or dissimilarity between” To use the word “equate” may go a step too far because he did not actually say that the two are equal, he said that they were both mistakes. Saying that he “compared” rather than “equated” invites less criticism of their reporting. Sorry you were downvoted for asking for language clarification. An anti-Saudi story will attract those with general anti-foreigner sentiment who like to police the comments to make sure we’re all red-blooded, freedom-loving flag-wavers. This one will also attract anti-capitalists, so it could be quite a rollercoaster. Sorry for the idioms.